Educational Inequality and System Bottlenecks in Pakistan (2014–2023): Tri-Country Benchmarking Against India And Bangladesh

Abstract

This paper examines the institutional bottlenecks which still impede the process of education in Pakistan. The discussion is based on secondary data. It is a comparison of performance on indicators of access, enrolment, infrastructure, and institutional capacity and chosen benchmarks between 20142015 and 20222023 between India and Bangladesh. Results indicate that out-of-school among children aged 5-16 years decreased by 9.2 points (47.3 to 38.1) which are low improvements. Significant urban–rural disparities persist. Urban pre-primary enrolment increased significantly, with boys’ enrolment by 30% and girls’ by 28%, while rural pre-primary enrolment declined, indicating weakening access to early education. Girls’ enrolment at the middle level increased, particularly in rural areas, suggesting improvement with availability. Capacity remains uneven: 168,241 primary schools compared with only 9,004 higher-secondary institutions and 247 universities create a steep educational pyramid that constrains post-primary progression. The study concludes with stage-specific policy recommendations aimed at strengthening lower secondary retention, minimum infrastructure standards and post primary outcomes.